Film

The Last Summer

Name: The Last Summer
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Released: 2019
Cast: KJ Apa, Maia Mitchell, Jacob Latimore, Halston Sage, Tyler Posey

Coming-of-age

A group of friends spend one final summer before college falling in and out of love, revisiting old dynamics, and reckoning with what it means to grow apart. It's a breezy, earnest romance ensemble that wears its nostalgia openly and moves quickly through its ensemble's various entanglements. For anyone who loved *The Summer I Turned Pretty* or *Wet Hot American Summer*.

TMDb rating

3.0

If you liked this

The Summer I Turned Pretty2022

Another dreamy summer romance that balances multiple love stories with genuine affection for its characters' emotional growth. It has the same warmth and willingness to let teenagers feel big feelings.

But The Netflix adaptation spans multiple seasons so it's a much bigger commitment, and some find the love triangle repetitive across episodes.

Wet Hot American Summer2001

A nostalgic ensemble comedy about a group navigating summer before adulthood, mixing romance with absurdist humour. The cast chemistry and fondness for its characters matches *The Last Summer* perfectly.

But It's significantly weirder and more comedic—if you want straightforward romance, the tonal shift might throw you.

Everything Sucks!2018

A loving pastiche of '90s teen culture where a group of friends navigate romance, friendship rifts, and self-discovery during one pivotal school year. Same ensemble energy, same heart about growing up.

But Only one season exists because it was cancelled, so there's less time to sink into the relationships and dynamics.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Last Summer

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

C.R.A.Z.Y.2005

Both follow a young person navigating attraction and identity during formative summers, and both understand that these moments aren't just romantic—they're where you discover who you actually are beneath who you thought you'd be.

A decades-spanning French-Canadian family drama tracking a young man's self-discovery and his relationships with friends and brothers. Gorgeously shot, genuinely moving, with the same emotional architecture about how summer moments shape who we become.

But It's a serious, slowly-paced film in French about queerness and family trauma—tonally quite different from the breezy ensemble rom-com you just watched.

Never Have I Ever2020

Follows a tight friend group through romance and identity as they approach adulthood. It's funny, romantic, and genuinely interested in its characters as people, not just plot devices.

But Spans four seasons; if you just want a light two-hour film, the commitment is steep.

Flowers in the Attic2014

A summer-set ensemble drama about young people navigating attraction and emotional complexity. Slower-burn than *The Last Summer* but with similar earnestness about desire and connection.

But Significantly darker and more Gothic—this is family trauma and gothic secrets, not beach-day romance.

The Fault in Our Stars2014

Teenagers grappling with mortality, love, and what it means to grow up. Emotionally intelligent ensemble work where characters feel real beneath the bigger themes.

But Much heavier—this is grief and illness, not summer fun, so tonally quite different from the lightness you're seeking.

10 Things I Hate About You1999

A teen ensemble romance that actually writes its characters as individuals with brains and complications. Funny, charming, and surprisingly thoughtful about relationships and who people pretend to be.

But A 1999 film means some cultural references and visual style feel dated, which some viewers find distracting.

Paper Towns2015

Teens navigating romance, friendship, and identity in their final weeks before college scatters them. John Green adaptation with real affection for coming-of-age messiness.

But Some find it overly sentimental, and the twist divides audiences on whether the film earns its emotional beats.

The Kissing Booth2018

A fun, unpretentious romance about friends and first love set against a summer event. Embraces its own sweetness without apology and moves at a brisk, entertaining clip.

But Widely mocked for narrative simplicity and plot contrivances; if you want complexity, this isn't it.

Derry Girls2018

Both are about a friend group at a threshold moment, watching their dynamics shift as adulthood arrives. But where *The Last Summer* is romantic and earnest, *Derry Girls* is riotously funny about how friendship is the real love story.

A Northern Irish comedy following four friends through their final years of school. Hilarious, warm, and genuinely invested in how friendships survive the transition to adulthood. Each episode is about 25 minutes—perfect palette cleanser.

But British humour and Irish slang might require subtitles for some; it's also a TV series not a film, and the comedy is sharper and faster than *The Last Summer*.

The Spectacular Now2013

Same summer-before-adulthood setting and genuine affection for teenage romance, but where *The Last Summer* multiplies the storylines across an ensemble, this narrows to one couple and goes deeper into what it means when adulthood forces you to choose.

A smart, tender romance about two teenagers who find each other at summer's end and fall into something real. Grounded, funny, genuinely romantic without being saccharine, with real chemistry between its leads.

But Slower and more melancholic than *The Last Summer*—it's interested in bittersweet awareness of impermanence, not just the excitement of connection.